Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
Osteoporosis — bone thinning — is a disease we
have spoken about many times. Many think this is a disease of
females only, and it is primarily a problem for most elderly
women, but the "Prescribers Newsletter" informed me that
nearly two million American men have this disease and they
are not being screened. One out of four men over the age of
fifty will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. This is due
to declining levels of hormones in the aging male. Sometimes
men take anti- hormone therapy as part of treatment for
prostate cancer. These people are at high risk for fracture,
since the lower hormones thin the bones, and also because the
cancer has a propensity to spread to the bones.
Risks for osteoporosis in males as they age include alcohol
and smoking abuse, as well as sedentary life styles. Men,
like women, need to exercise and increase their calcium
intake. Screening is through a densiomonitor.
I have a request to speak about lice and worms. Let me
reiterate that lice do not mean your child is dirty nor does
it mean that a child must miss school. These bugs do not jump
from heads. They are spread through contact of heads and
headgear. The Middle Eastern version is highly resistant.
Worms are another story. Most worms are not found in this
country, although, a story about the Chinese Liver Fluke is
worth repeating. This worm is spread through incompletely
cooked fish and was rampant during World War Two among Jews
in Shanghai who brought with them from Europe a love for
gefilte fish. A warning for people to cook their meat, fish
and eggs completely to prevent disease. As a side note, I do
not eat sushi (a dish made with raw fish that has become
popular in the West) and do not think it is a good idea.
The most common worm in industrial countries is pinworm. This
little worm — about 1-2 cm long — emerges at
night from the anus and causes intense itching. The patient
then scratches, and the eggs are left under the scratching
fingernail. They can then get to the digestive tract and
repeat the process. Babies with dirty diapers sitting in
sandboxes can also spread the disease. Treatment is simple
with the taking of a pill. Worms seen crawling around in
clothes or bedding should not be a cause of alarm.
Write me in care of the Yated. By email:
jbleibmd@yahoo.com
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
column. Vomiting is a serious problem especially after
chemotherapy. A stronger medicine than Zofran does not exist.
This medication has been around for more than 15 years with
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